Teachers wear many hats- friend, counselor, judge, mentor–hundreds of roles and different roles for different classes, students, and extra curricular duties. Traditionally, a teacher is someone who dispenses knowledge: someone who Lectures, tells, feeds, disseminates, covers material, and teaches the subject matter more than the students. However, lectures are effective for giving short sets of instructions, background information, guidelines, or other information that is needed in a short time frame. A teacher is also some one who Demonstrates, allowing the students to experience more fully the information and concepts the teacher wants to impart during the lesson. Although the teacher is still the center of the action and the dispenser of knowledge, students can more easily see what they need to know and more efficiently link it to prior knowledge in their own ways. He also Listens. Listening is crucial for assessment of learning, for collaboration between teachers and students, and for giving students a real sense of ownership of classroom activities as well as for allowing students to articulate and internalize the learning processes. Teachers who listen can turn around and provide very effective support structures to guide students on to the next level of challenge. Empowering is really what teaching is all about. Ironically, though, many teachers act as if empowering students means weakening themselves–their authority as both a classroom disciplinarian and a subject-matter authority. But maybe power is like love: the more you give, the more you get. But aside from the above-mention roles, teachers’ prime role also includes Understanding the students’ needs and interests as well as their abilities and learning styles. . Instruction and learning are both improved when teachers take every opportunity to learn about their students’ strengths and needs. The diagnostic information gathered allows teachers to individualize instruction and assessment to meet the needs of each student. Planning classroom environment and routines is another role of teachers. It involves establishing the classroom environment and routines conducive to learning. Other roles of teachers are Organizing classroom facilities and resources; planning and organizing for instruction ; planning and organizing for assessment and evaluation ; and planning for communication with students’ families.
By: NICETA B. LACERNA | PABLO ROMAN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
